Hi everybody! I am so sorry for not being able to reply to your reviews but I am terrifically busy. I am drowning in studies because somehow there seems to be no time and my Unit Tests are coming up so forgive me please! I'll get back to you all ASAP! As of now I bring to you the oh-so-dramatic Chapter 23 of our beloved Matchmaking (hehehehe)!

Yeah I know it hurts...Yeah I know you're scared...Walking down the road that leads to who knows where. Don't you hang your head...Don't you give up yet when courage starts to disappear I will be right here! -Clay Aiken, I Will Carry You.

Chapter 23

The Flash was getting impatient and beside him his best friend, a magnificent Mummy, who fidgeted now and then with one of his bandages paced up and down the corridor. Yes, you guessed it right, it was Tyson waiting with Max for the ladies to come out so that they could ask two of them for the first dances. Their worry and concern had been borne of the news that The Majestics, in particular Oliver, were coming to the party.

"I don't know why the stick-in-the-muds want to butt in to other people's dates," Tyson kicked an imaginary Oliver.

"We didn't ask the girls but it should be taken for granted but no, they have to be charming and stay till the after party to mess up our lives," huffed Max through his bandages.

The Majestics…..rich, good looking, single with the exception of a fearsome personality (which put most girls, who knew the bladers personally, off Kai)….yes, Hilary and Mariam were known to like the Majestics and this scared Tyson and Max to the extent of actually thinking of asking them out. And this was the reason for their presence outside their rooms.

"I am done. We have knocked so many times, I am going to go in," said Tyson suddenly. He wrenched the handle of Hilary's door. He turned it harshly and gasped, "Why it's locked!"

Max turned to Mariam's door and tried the handle. "It's locked too."

Tyson took out his cell phone to call Hilary. "Ray sent me a message! They're already at the venue. They left without us!" Tyson's horrified voice was the war-cry for the race to Tyson's Audi (Tyson was being paid really well).

Where was she? Max looked at the crowd wondering who was who. "Tyson, you recognise anyone?"

"No, buddy but I think I can see the food table. Choco-chip ice cream here I come," with that Tyson was gone.

Max sighed and bundled together his bandages and turned to go when he bumped into someone who, he could see, was trying to be Max from the beyblading days but failing. "Enrique?" he asked, surprised.

"Who else?" Enrique snickered, drawling in a fake american accent. "But currently I am you."

Max spluttered, "That hideous outfit is so not me."

"Oh dear Maxie, I got is specially made. My designer looked in on your most popular dresses. In fact, already people are hailing me as Max/Blondie/Pain in the ass."

"Aw shut up!" Max punched Enrique's shoulder, looking over the said object to hunt a particular lady dressed as a vampire.

"But you missed the drama," Enrique continued. "When Kai saw Johnny-hello gorgeous (this to passing girl who giggled back)-he nearly had a fit."

"What? You mean to say that all you guys are dressed as the Bladebreakers! (Enrique bowed) Oh man! I can't believe I missed that," Max groaned. As someone dressed as Humpty-Dumty moved away from his line of vision, he saw Diana dressed as theWhite Witch talking to Kai. Wait, that was Johnny dressed as Kai. Max gave a small smile as he realised that Johnny was carrying off the Kai-look very well. Maybe Diana knew where Mariam was. He had to find Mariam before this wonderful song finished. "Well, see ya later, Enrique." However Enrique was long gone and his voice could be heard telling a Rosaline about his fantastic Italian estate.

He walked over to Diana, "My! You are looking good, for once."

"I'll take that as a compliment," smiled Diana.

Max nodded at Johnny who grinned back, "Heard you had a spat with Kai?"

Johnny smirked, "Totally knocked him over."

"Speaking of Kai, where is he?"

"I believe he said something about trying to find a knife or noose," Diana interjected, helpfully.

"Why?" asked Max, his face worried as he looked over his shoulder for a murderous Kai. Kai was known to be very dangerous and hazardous when angry.

Johnny grinned, "Coz I asked his girl to dance with me before he could."

Diana scoffed, "First, I am not his girl. Second, he should have known I wasn't going to dance with you, anyway."

"Ouch, my pride is burnt, shattered and broken and see that? That's my heart you just stamped on," Johnny cried in mock pain.

Max shook his head at the amount of childishness around him. Really exaperated at his efforts in finding Mariam he intervened, "Where are the others?"

Diana gestured at the pair in the middle of the dancing throng, "There's the kittens. That's Tyson stepping on Hilary's toes. God! She is looking a very convincing she-devil right now. I feel sorry for Tyson. Kai? Probably in the kitchen hunting up something for our dear red head here. Kenny and Emily are dancing near the balcony."

Max scowled as she stopped there. She didn't say anything about Mariam? However the ever-helpful Johnny fulfilled his wish, "And those two near them are Mariam and John. I suppose next time we meet will be at their wedding?"

Max choked on his Pepsi, "What?" His legs began to move of their accord towards the couple. As the song ended couples began to move off the dance floor and that was when a flushed Mariam hanging on to the arm of a smirking John caught sight of a very angry Max heading towards her. Seeing no escape, she decided to go head on with trouble. "Is that you Max? I thought i saw blonde hair beneath the bandages," Mariam smiled.

Max just nodded sizing up the tall, broad and flaxen haired man who was dressed as Werewolf. Max noted how perfectly nature had chosen a costume for this man who seemed no less than the Big Bad Wolf from one of the fairy tales he had read as a child.

Mariam continued talking, taking Max's silence as a good sign. At least he hadn't begun to rant. "John, dear, this is Max one of my friends. Max, this is John, my uh."

"Her fiance," the Big Bad Wolf smiled wolfishly at Max, extending a hand that looked supisciously clawed to Max. "Pleased to meet you."

Max took the hand cautiously, "Likewise. Mariam, would you like to dance with me?" His voice sounded strangely thivk even to his own ears as he tried to understand what the hell was happening. How did he not know about this? No, Mariam was his.

Mariam watched his originally sky-blue eyes turned stormy blue. Not a good sign. "Sur-"

"Oh I am sorry but I already asked her to every dance but i am sure you would find someone else. I have heard you are quite a playboy." The words hit Max like slap across his face. "Dear," John addressed Mariam, "You must invite him to our wedding. A friend of yours is a friend of mi-" John never finished his goodwill sentence as Max finally and totally lost his cool and punched John's nose. Max smiled as he heard the crunch of the nose breaking as his adversary fell to the ground.

Throughout the room people had by now realised a fight was going on and some even cheered. Max smiled a sadistic smile and bent to grab the fur of John's costume, ready to deliver another punch. His raised hand however stopped in air as Mariam grabbed his hand. Clearly Mariam still had a bladers hold. "Leave him alone," she said a little coldly. The crowd whistled.

"Oh hahahahahahahahah," John stared aghast as Max, now practically sitting on top of him, began to laugh. Even Mariam's eyes widened in confusion. "I can't believe it, John. A girl has to save you? How are you going to protect Mariam when you can't even defend yourself? Be a man and stand up and fight."

Max stood up but John made no such move, proceeding to cover is face and head with his hands.

"Stop it, Max. You are making everybody stare," Mariam lowered her voice.

Max laughed, "You are still taking that coward's side. Are you blind? Well, they did say love was blind. Today we proved it in two ways. Your loving him despite him being a scaredy-cat dumb coward and my loving you despite all this."

Max stormed off, going extra carefully to make his steps echo all over the room. Johnny clapped and hooted, "Never thought Maxie had it in him. Three cheers-" he stopped as he got the receiving end of a glare from Mariam.

"Is there a show going on here?" Kai apeared from nowhere and the jarring finality in his voice made everyone return to the party as Need You Know began to play.

Tyson and Kenny helped John up while Ray whispered something to Kai who gave a thin-lipped smile. Mariah and Hilary crowded around Mariam who turned away with a shake of her head but the tell tale rise and fall of her shoulders told another story.

"Aww, Mariam, don't cry," cooed Mariah.

"Ya, don't let the spoilsport spoil the evening for you," said Hilary.

Diana watched as Kenny brought a chair for John while Kai went to ask for a first aid kit from the manager to stop the bleeding before John could be carried to the hospital. She walked over to John who looked pitifully at her. She took a huge breath and brought her fist in contact with John's messed up face with full force.

"Ouch! Ouch!Ouch! That's for spoiling Max's night," cupping her fist in her left hand Diana went out of the balcony.

Johnny cheered for what seemed the hundredth time that night. Nobody made to follow the White Witch.

I hope everybody liked this chapter! More drama to come but yeah, I personally loved this chapter. Oh and one more thing-I plead, I beg, I ask you with watery eyes...Please, please try out my story 'Why So Serious?' when you are free. I know its under wrestling but its mostly devoid of Wrestling and as far as I think anybody can read it but the people there are really lazy or forgetful as hardly anyone is reviewing. Please HELP!

And don't forget to REVIEW on this chapter, fellas. Let me know your thoughts!

-Z-A-K